The minister, dubbed the crystal Methodist, pleaded guilty to drugs possession when he appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning following his arrest in the Liverpool area last year.

Flowers was fined £400 and ordered to pay £125 costs.

Flowers, 63, stepped down as the Co-operative Bank's chairman in June amid claims of illegal drug use and inappropriate expenses payments.

He was also suspended by both the Methodist Church and the Labour Party.

The Co-op confirmed last year that it was seeking to recover contractual payments totalling £31,000 made to Mr Flowers amid reports that he was also the subject of an inquiry into "lavish" expense claims.

He admitted charged with two counts of possession of Class A drugs - cocaine and methamphetamine - and one count of possession of Class C drug ketamine, prosecutors said.

A second man, Gavin Woroniuk, 33, of Mitford Road, Leeds, was also charged in relation to the incident. He faces four counts of offering to supply controlled drugs and one count of possession of criminal property.

Mr Flowers was minister at Hill Top methodist Church in West Bromwich during the 1980s.

He was also a member of West Bromwich West Labour Party when former House of Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd was the sitting MP.

He was forced to stand down as a Labour candidate for the Meriden seat after just three months when concerns were raised by local members about his suitability.